The deal

Stitched into the profusion of rice paddies and verdant sugar cane fields that nourish Siem Reap, your four-star home away from home lies garmented in straw roofed villas and sprawling pavilion. Stone paths anchor rooms to one another, rustling palm trees whispering in ears with each breezy step, as you exchange the confines of private gardens for Angkor’s prepossessing views. Take in the intricate stonework and spiritual resonance that echoes through tangles of forests at the famed Buddhist temples that attract tourists in droves, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is Angkor Wat, or explore the royal 12th century city of Angkor Thom for a glimpse of the Khmer empire’s last bastions.

Discover your host country through its local flavours, as Niam Niam Restaurant’s (Khmer for ‘eat, eat’) chef Vuthy deftly weaves Southern Cambodia piquancy with borrowed tastes from bona fide Italian cuisine. Handcrafting the offerings of local farmers to the preferences of each guest, plant-based diets, allergy sufferers, and other food restrictions are taken into account at this fine-dining institution.

Echoing the vast array of organic bounty in its kitchens, the Hotel’s spa turns fresh herbs, fruits, and flowers into potent tools in a beauty arsenal crafted to complement its range of facials, Asian-style massages, and wellness treatments. Surrender to your choice of pampering practices, from masks that smother skin in honey and cucumber, to body scrubs made from pley and tamarind juices for an effortless holiday glow.

catering to merpeople from varying aquatic habitats, a triad of outdoor lagoons proffers cool embraces to blunt the edge of tropical climes. Dream of the ocean blues in a salt water lounge, or beat world records with laps in an 18-metre freshwater pool, while watching small ones shriek with joy in a tot-friendly plunge pool.

As the rising sun singes the last of a morning mist, clear foggy heads and sluggish bodies with Navutu’s collection of daily yoga classes. Guests pencil in desired slots on a preset schedule, or drop in on a whim to see what all the fuss is about, as capable teachers guide Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Hatha, or basic meditation sessions.

Add-Ons

Siem Reap, Cambodia: What to see and do

The city of Siem Reap is popularly known as the ‘Gateway to Angkor’ as most visitors choose the town as a base to explore the ruins of Angkor and its surrounding attractions. Although the temples are a shadow of its former glorious Khmer Empire days, they are still a sight to behold; myth and history are etched into the stone structures that chronicle the religious beliefs and legacy of an ancient civilisation. The prized jewels of the UNESCO World Heritage Site are Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, and it is worth waking up before dawn to climb up the steps of these monuments and see the rising sun tint the landscape with hues of gold.

Siem Reap has more to offer besides age-old temples. In the town area, you can visit the Angkor National Museum as a prelude to your trip to the Angkor Archaeological park, or drop by Angkor Silk Farm to see how silk worms are cultivated and silk-weaving techniques. It is possible to cover the town on foot but transportation services are readily available to shuttle you from one location to another. Familiarise yourself with the flavours unique to this region at a restaurant specialising in Khmer cuisine, which focuses on fresh ingredients, simplicity, and aromatic herbs. Some of these venues stage Apsara dance performances for diners, a classical dance performed by women dressed in elaborate costumes and golden headdresses that tell a tale through fluid movements and facial expressions. About half an hour away towards the southern outskirts of the city is the vast expanse of water that is Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Go for a boat tour that takes you past floating villages and fishermen hard at work, while trips to the wildlife reserve and flooded forests bring you up-close to nature and its inhabitants.